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Sunday, September 06, 2009

On September 8, President Obama plans to broadcast nationwide in our public schools on televisions and via Internet his views on why kids should stay in school in order to reduce the drop out rates around the country. Sounds innocent enough. However, the Department of Education also included a list of activities they would like teachers to use before and following the speech to prepare for the speech.

Some of the suggested activities:

Why is it important that we listen to the President and other elected officials, like the mayor, senators, members of congress, or the governor? Why is what they say important?

What do you think the President wants us to do? Does the speech make you want to do anything? Are we able to do what President Obama is asking of us?

Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. These would be collected and redistributed at an appropriate later date by the teacher to make students accountable to their goals.(see update below)

While these items are optional by school district and up to the individual teachers, it has created quite an uproar online and in public schools across the country. Many parents are opting their child out of school that day because they feel the President is preaching a political agenda disguised as a motivational speech to our children. Others are not as concerned,but from the majority of coverage I have seen it seems most parents are concerned, along with some educators.

While a President has addressed students before it has not come with an accompanied curriculum in which it suggests to students to ask how the President inspires them to how they can help the President. The suggested letter to themselves has since been removed and changed to ask students to write a letter to themselves on how they can achieve their personal educational goals. Previously it asked students how they could help the President, suggesting they are to be loyal to him in some way or perhaps that they agree with his position and political views. This is what upset parents most, and I don't blame them.

In addition, as noted by Puma Pundit, there are books the Department of Education would like teachers to read to the students prior to the speech:

Remember, the Dept. of Education expects your kids to read books on the life of Barack Obama before the monumentalspeech on September 8th, well here’s a look at two of the books that shall be used:

The first book is aptly titled: Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope

He was there in Chicago because he cared about these people. They were his family. People in Kenya were his family. Indonesians were his family. And no matter where he was, the world was his home. And who he was could be summed up in one word: loveable.

As a former teacher, it is great to see the President wanting to motivate students to stay in school, but none of the questions and activities had anything to do with that purpose until parents started raising concerns and it became headlines news on most main stream media. Like many of the things this administration does, such as hiring of czars without a congressional vetting and nomination process...this administration also tries to push their agenda along hoping nobody will notice, especially since most mainstream media outlets fail to report on the issues until the public has made enough of an outcry. An example of this is the sudden resignation of Obama's Green Czar, Van Jones.

A lawyer whose work has included myriad civil rights disputes and who has practice before the U.S. Supreme Court is accusing President Obama of trying to push his social agenda by reaching out directly to young children, bypassing parents who may challenge his statements.

And what Obama plans to do on Sept. 8 with a planned speech directly to students in public schools across the United States may even be illegal, according to Mathew D. Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel as well as dean of Liberty University School of Law.

"Obama has pushed his political agenda to the extreme by forcing himself on America's children," Staver said in a statement today. "Obama's political agenda on healthcare and his expansive vision for government is being rejected by the American people. Now Obama is after our children, who, like some socialist members of Congress, have not read the healthcare bill. Americans do not appreciate the president's attempt to use our children as political pawns in his game of chess. Mr. President, you must abide by the rule of law and stop this illegal activity. Our children do not belong to you."

In an acknowledgment that the Department of Education provided lesson plans written somewhat inartfully, surrounding the President Obama’s speech to students next Tuesday, the White House today announced that it had rewritten one of the sections in question.

…..As one of the preparatory materials for teachers provided by the Department of Education, students had been asked to, “Write letters to themselves about what they can do to help the president. “

Today, after Republicans accused the White House of trying to indoctrinate school children with liberal propaganda the White House and the Department of Education changed the section to now read, “Write letters to themselves about how they can achieve their short‐term and long‐term education goals.”

…..

Mr. Obama will deliver his speech from Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia – yet his remarks will be broadcast live on the White House website and C-SPAN, which all schools were encouraged to show in their classrooms.

Send Obama a clear message. Keep your kids out of school on Sept 8. Take them to work with you or provide a more substantial learning environment by discussing the Bill Of Rights, the US Constitution etc.

DeniseL-thanks for your comment, however you either didn't read what I wrote or didn't comprehend what I wrote...my concern was not so much his speech but the activities that were expected to be used as followup activities.As far as assuming someone is a racist just because they disagree with someone's views or politics is inaccurate and ignorant...I am not racist in any means...I'd rather have Alan Keyes as President than Obama right now, at least he values life and does not disrespect our Constitution.